Republicans Still Blocking Critical Obama Nominees - 2009-06-29
We all know that Republicans believe that “that government is best which governs least” (attributed variously to Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, or neither). But they seem to be taking that a bit too seriously these days.
Republican Senators are holding up the confirmations of 21 key Obama appointees. In a recent editorial, the New York Times has called this “obstructionism.”
The Times writes: ” Most of the stranded nominees have long since had hearings and majority approval by Senate committees and meetings with lawmakers. None of the nominees have been tainted by scandal or had their core competence questioned. And yet, they remain unconfirmed — one for more than three months and several others for more than a month — mainly because of holds, often anonymous and unexplained, by Republican senators.”
University of Chicago Law Professor Cass Sunstein—a long time friend and colleague of the president and the current nominee to head the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs—is the latest example.
In this time of economic crisis and global instability, Republicans must drop their petty objections and allow President Obama to fill out his administration immediately.
